The challenge hypothesis across taxa: social modulation of hormone titres in vertebrates and insects

Tibbetts, Elizabeth A.; Crocker, Katherine C.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.02.015

Cited by 33 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…The rapid effects of elevated glucocorticoids on calling behaviour, and evidence indicating that the effects occur independent of changes in androgen levels, also provide support for the hypothesis that CORT can override and mask androgenic effects on male courtship signals (Leary & Knapp, ). Such effects may be important in terms of negating the potential costs imposed on signallers when interactions among males stimulate androgen production in rival males competing for females (Leary, ), which is a widespread effect of male–male social interactions (Hirschenhauser & Oliveira, ; Tibbetts & Crocker, ; Wingfield et al., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid effects of elevated stress hormones on male courtship signals suggest a major role for the acute stress response in intra‐ and intersexual selection

Leary

Crocker-Buta

2018

Functional Ecology

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Short‐term elevations in circulating stress hormones (glucocorticoids) often mediate reduced investment in reproductive behaviour in favour of self‐maintenance and survival, but the significance of these effects in sexual selection and communication remain largely unexplored. Here we examine the acute stress response in the context of intra‐ and intersexual selection in the green treefrog Hyla cinerea. Males of this species produce agonistic acoustic signals that stimulate elevations in the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) in rival males, suggesting a central role for CORT in male–male competition. We hypothesized that elevated CORT levels in losers of vocal contests mediate an increase in the energy allocated towards self‐maintenance and survival that compromises investment in courtship signalling, resulting in reduced attractiveness to females. Consistent with this hypothesis, we show that CORT administration to calling males, simulating CORT production in vocal contest losers, caused a rapid reduction in the duration of advertisement calls and vocal effort. Elevated CORT also increased the propensity to produce aggressive calls during simulated territorial intrusions that was followed by an increased probability of non‐calling “satellite” mating behaviour. This suite of CORT effects on vocal behaviour are known to decrease attractiveness to females and were not related to a decrease in androgen level or differences in body condition in CORT‐ vs. saline‐injected males. Our results suggest that CORT production during intraspecific vocal contests compromises male attractiveness. Male vocalizations may therefore reliably indicate recent contest outcomes and/or the stress status of males, implicating CORT as a mediator of honest signalling. We propose that the effects of agonistic acoustic signals on CORT production in this species are maintained by CORT‐mediated life‐history trade‐offs; decreased conspicuous signalling in high stress‐responsive males potentially increases survival by reducing the likelihood of escalated contests with dominant males and detection by predators. Adoption of alternative non‐calling satellite mating tactics may contribute to maintaining individual variation in stress responsiveness by increasing the chances that competitively inferior males acquire mates. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13054/suppinfo is available for this article.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid effects of elevated stress hormones on male courtship signals suggest a major role for the acute stress response in intra‐ and intersexual selection

Leary

Crocker-Buta

2018

Functional Ecology

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“…By modulation of hormone titres, individuals can match their behaviour to their current social environment and avoid costs associated with prolonged high hormone titres. Most work on social responsiveness of hormone titres has focused on androgens in vertebrates but there is mounting evidence that insect hormones, especially juvenile hormone, may respond to social stimuli in ways that parallel androgens in vertebrates (Tibbetts & Crocker, 2014). Testosterone levels and aggression in male adult animals are closely associated with intense reproductive competition for the access to females (Cristóbal-Azkarate et al, 2006).…”

Section: Challenge Hypothesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Off-Shore Fly or Die Holograms for Desert Locust Swarms

SEVİLMİŞ¹

2020

Preprint

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A random walk search was conducted on academic papers to find a method for ecological combat of desert locust. Relatedness of papers and concepts were mainly analysed with the core idea of "Fighting Rooster" vs "Desert Locust " interspecies competition. It was interesting to find a better preator than fighting roosters for locust swarms in the sea. Usage of a technology is required in this theoric approach to modify collective behavior of desert locusts which looks like the achilles heel of swarms.

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“…Wasps with more broken black spots on their faces win more fights and are avoided by rivals compared with wasps with less broken black facial spots (24,25). The hormone measured is JH, an invertebrate hormone that has strong functional parallels to androgens (7,19). In paper wasps, JH is linked positively with dominance rank, aggression, and fertility (24,26,27) and negatively with survival (28).…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, in many vertebrates, androgens increase during periods of social competition, increase in contest winners, and decrease in contest losers (16), although there is substantial variation in androgen response to social behavior across taxa and contexts (17,18). In insects, JH responds to social stimuli in a way that parallels androgens in vertebrates (7,19).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Socially selected ornaments influence hormone titers of signalers and receivers

Tibbetts

Crocker

Zhi

2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Decades of behavioral endocrinology research have shown that hormones and behavior have a bidirectional relationship; hormones both influence and respond to social behavior. In contrast, hormones are often thought to have a unidirectional relationship with ornaments. Hormones influence ornament development, but little empirical work has tested how ornaments influence hormones throughout life. Here, we experimentally alter a visual signal of fighting ability in Polistes dominulus paper wasps and measure the behavioral and hormonal consequences of signal alteration in signalers and receivers. We find wasps that signal inaccurately high fighting ability receive more aggression than controls and receiving aggression reduces juvenile hormone (JH) titers. As a result, immediately after contests, inaccurate signalers have lower JH titers than controls. Ornaments also directly influence rival JH titers. Three hours after contests, wasps who interacted with rivals signaling high fighting ability have higher JH titers than wasps who interacted with rivals signaling low fighting ability. Therefore, ornaments influence hormone titers of both signalers and receivers. We demonstrate that relationships between hormones and ornaments are flexible and bidirectional rather than static and unidirectional. Dynamic relationships among ornaments, behavior, and physiology may be an important, but overlooked factor in the evolution of honest communication.honesty | challenge hypothesis | androgens | communication | social costs T he prevailing view in communication research is that hormones, such as androgens, influence the expression of ornaments and also function as "physiological costs" that maintain signal accuracy over evolutionary time (1). For example, the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis proposes that high androgen titers are required for animals to develop elaborate ornaments and high androgen titers also impose immune-related costs (2, 3). As a result, only the best individuals can afford to produce elaborate ornaments.There is growing evidence that the unidirectional view of hormone/ornament relationships is incomplete (4, 5). Instead, relationships between hormones and ornaments may be bidirectional and therefore more complex than previously anticipated. Although there is little experimental evidence that ornaments influence hormone titers, theory suggests ornaments could affect the hormone titers of individuals displaying ornaments (signalers) and/or individuals perceiving ornaments (receivers) directly or indirectly via behavior.Understanding how ornaments influence hormone titers of signalers and receivers is important because hormones have persistent effects on morphology, physiology, and behavior. Androgens in vertebrates and juvenile hormone (JH) in insects mediate the fecundity vs. lifespan tradeoff (6, 7). High titers of androgens and JH typically increase success in competitive contexts, but also decrease survival (8, 9). Therefore, if ornaments alter hormones, the hormonal changes will produce a cascade of sub...

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The challenge hypothesis across taxa: social modulation of hormone titres in vertebrates and insects

Cited by 33 publications

References 98 publications

Rapid effects of elevated stress hormones on male courtship signals suggest a major role for the acute stress response in intra‐ and intersexual selection

Rapid effects of elevated stress hormones on male courtship signals suggest a major role for the acute stress response in intra‐ and intersexual selection

Off-Shore Fly or Die Holograms for Desert Locust Swarms

Socially selected ornaments influence hormone titers of signalers and receivers

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